I didn’t want to dedicate one post to each one of these songs, and thus, one post for all. First up, a boyband that made me shut up and take them seriously this year.
U-KISS – “Tick Tack”
U-Kiss deliver another smashing single to appease their fans
I know, this is their Japanese single. So technically it’s J-pop, and not K-pop. But aside from the Japanese lyrics, everything else about this song and video just reeks ‘K-pop’. From the standard ‘wiping lips with finger’ actions to the song itself. Produced by the same geniuses behind much of U-KISS’s stellar Korean album ‘Neverland,’ this song could have easily began as a Korean track that was then changed to Japanese. But for once, Japanese really works for this song — it sounds natural.
It’s a heavy dance track, yes, but the vocals are still given a chance to shine (although the ‘non-singers’ in the group, Eli and Dong Ho just mouth their allotted lines). The choreography isn’t bad and I particularly love the part at 1:40, how they spread apart with that leg dance.
Finger swiping lips. Yup, this is still K-pop alright.
I felt sorry for U-KISS after they failed to win a single award despite appearing on just about every Korean music show for nearly two months promoting “Neverland” and then “Someday”. Here’s hoping the boys do really well in Japan with “Tick Tack”.
One of the more hyped girl groups of 2011… but yet another that I cared a damp squib about with their first single. A-Pink, from Cube Entertainment’s sister company, were just another one of those cutesy angelic young idol groups that found a fanbase among the tween crowd and the older “oppa” crowd. I wasn’t either of them.
Their comeback song though…
… is pretty good! Sure, they still haven’t strayed away from their formula and the girls look innocent as ever. My only gripe is — man, they all look alike! Usually for such reviews, I would make a screen cap photo of each member but after figuring out four of the members, I just couldn’t figured out who the other three individuals were!
Anyway, the song. A lot of people have said it’s a throwback to the first generation of K-pop girls groups, like Fin.K.L and S.E.S. But since I never grew up listening to them, the reason this song still resonated with me is because of it’s very 90s vibe. I was instantly taken back to the days of Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” and Shanice’s “I Love Your Smile,” and “My My” has the same retro pop vibe many such pop hits had in the 1990s. Even the dance choreography in “My My” is very 90s-inspired.
A-Pink have really good vocals, so in many ways, I feel this group will eventually grow the SNSD-way and shed their cutesy image in a year or two (and turn ‘sexy’ eventually). If not that, I hope the girls at least get different hair cuts!
Yes…erm, whichever one you are… I’ll anticipate A-Pink’s next release
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Good)
Trouble Maker – “Trouble Maker”
Another Cube Entertainment offering and a rather surprising project. 4Minute’s HyunA and B2ST’s Jang Hyunseung form the duo Trouble Maker, something quite different and not an expected idol pairing. HyunA’s hot off her “Bubble Pop” viral hit and B2ST has had a great year with “Fiction“.
After a steamy performance at MAMA 2011, expectations were sky high and with the song officially out, Trouble Maker doesn’t disappoint!
The instant I heard the whistle, I wondered if the people behind this track were influenced by Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”. The other song that came to my mind upon hearing the whistle part was the hook from Perfume’s “Love Beam”. Influences aside, “Trouble Maker” still stands on its own as a funky pop song with a catchy chorus.
What HyunaA gets in ‘sexy’ screen time, Hyunseung makes up for with more lines to sing
Cube gets a lot of criticism for promoting HyunA way too much. For good reason. I mean she already had her solo success with “Bubble Pop” and became a sex symbol overnight. From cute to sexy, Hyuna is surely one of the prettiest k-pop idols out there and Cube really have a ‘star’ on their roster. Her sexy demeanor works for Trouble Maker, but it does seem a bit unfair when an artist whose singing capabilities are lacking gets way too much attention than say, her fellow 4Minute members. Oh well, if Britney Spears can last 10 years…
Even though the song is essentially ‘Hyunseung featuring HyunA,’ for the sake of the visuals, the pairing makes sense. The MV is alright: sassy, sexy and… erm, actually I don’t know what the video was about. Two spies/agents spying on each other? Get caught, make out? Somebody gets shot in the end? Who knows, maybe there will be a continuation.
Which I hope there is. Judging by the song alone, “Trouble Maker” will be a hit and should do very well on the charts. I’m sure 2011 is not the last we have seen of these two ‘trouble makers’.
Let me admit something first — I actually had no intention of writing this review!
The Wonder Girls are not one of my favourites in Korean pop. Not that I genuinely hate them or anything, I’m just not into them, that’s all. Sure, I heard “Nobody,” but then again, chances are you just couldn’t escape that video every time you searched for K-pop on YouTube. Their other big hit, “Tell Me,” was the epitome of catchy, but I enjoyed some of the dance covers better. In fact, I watch SNSD’s cover more than the Wonder Girls original!
Yes, I’m a SNSD-lover. Let me get that out of the way as well. So much so that I know which member is allergic to what and what some of their favourite things are. That’s how much I follow SNSD. Wonder Girls? Not so much.
Guessing that’s because Wonder Girls have been spending most of their time out of the k-pop scene for nearly two years and in America instead, where JYP hopes his girls would be the first Korean pop group to be successful in the West. (It’s his dream, I don’t know how much the girls want it)
But guess what Wonderfuls (what WG fans call themselves), you can rejoice because the 5-member girl group are back on the K-pop scene with a new full album. And the only reason I gave in and ended up writing this review is because… oh my god, this album is really good!
Here’s a track-by-track review:
01. “G.N.O.” (Girl’s Night Out) – Composed by member Yeeun, this club track intends to send the message the Wonder Girls are back to present and are done with the retro/cutesy concepts! For an opening track, it didn’t blow me away and when I thought about giving this album a listen, the first track still left the impression I wouldn’t care much for the Wonder Girls. – 3/5
02. “Be My Baby” – The lead single and their comeback track for 2011:
At first listen, I didn’t like it much. About the ‘no more retro’ bit from earlier, scratch that. Composed by Mr. JYP, Park Jin-young himself, “Be My Baby” is a very 1980s-pop inspired song. Not that there’s anything wrong about that. JYP seems to have a knack for incorporating “old school” music (a lot). Despite not liking the song a whole lot at first, a few listens later, I’m now bobbing my head and tapping my feet as I listen to it. It grew on me and I realized it’s quite a catchy single for the Korean market. As for the MV, it channels a lot of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and apparently, they even hired the same dance choreographer, but it’s presentable and suits the song just fine. – 4/5
3. “Girls Girls” – Dedicated to ladies everywhere, the girls sing about how everyone is still a ‘wondergirl,’ no matter if you are a Wonderful or not. I’m not a girl, but you don’t need to be one to admit this is a good song! For once, you hear the organic sound of real instruments instead of electronic beats for a idol group song. By the third track I was going: “Hmm, not bad. Maybe I should give track number 4 a try as well” – 4/5
4. “Me, in” – Sampling anoldie, track 4 is another great track! Bits of this song is what was used in the teasers, and if I were to take a guess, I’m sure they have already filmed a full MV for this song (meaning it will get a single release). JYP should, because again, with it’s edgy rock sound, Wonder Girls have a kind of song one hardly ever hears from any of the other girl groups. – 4/5
5. “Sweet Dreams” – After the above three great tracks, I wondered if it would go downhill from here on, as that is usually the case with most K-pop albums. But no, another good song! Back to funky dance pop, track 5 changed my mind about how I should now devote my time to give the rest of the album a listen. – 4/5
6. “Stop!” – Seriously, stop! Another stellar track!? Now this time, a 1970s disco inspired, ABBA-esque sound with a really good chorus. JYP really can’t let go of music influences from the past, can he? 🙂 My favourite track on the album! – 5/5
7. “Dear Boy” – Midway through the album and finally the tempo slows down a bit. A modern R&B track with smooth vocals. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this track, but it’s still very listenable. – 3/5
8. “두고두고” – The first proper ballad and again, a very R&B one at that. Soaring vocals and proof that Wonder Girls feature some of the best voices in the idol industry. – 3.5/5
9. “SuperB” – When the song started I worried if the music would go the “Mr. Saxobeat” way, but this Yubin & Sohee duet maintains the tempo without getting annoying. Probably the most electronic song on this album. – 3.5/5
10. “Act Cool” – Featuring JYP labelmate San E, this track is almost entirely a rap record by Hyelim (or ‘Lim,’ as she goes by in America). Not a song I’d probably play a lot whenever I listen to this album again, but again, it’s not a bad song per se. Lim does a pretty good job with the rapping. – 3/5
11. “Be My Baby” (Ra.D Mix) – A stripped down, jazzier version of the above single. Still sounds good and one that is better live for special stages on TV. (Not rating it as it’s just a remix)
12. “Nu Shoes” – The last song on a k-pop album is rarely ever a good one. And with a song about how much girls love shoes, I wasn’t expecting to like it. That is until I heard the chorus. I’ll be skipping track 10 and 11 just to listen to this on repeat album listens! Love the “oh oh oh-oh oh” part. – 4/5
The most impressive K-pop album I've heard this year!
I know the year isn’t over yet, but Wonder Girls are the last high profile act to make a comeback to the idol pop scene. And what a comeback! JYP knew the girls have been away for quite some time and they had to make an impact worthy of Wonder Girl’s status as (still) one of K-pop’s top idol groups. With Wonder World, the proof is in its pudding — from start to finish. They really put a lot of thought and effort into this album. The sound is mature, production top-notch, the vocals impressive, and there is very little of the Wonder Girls from the past.
Having said that, I wonder how many of these songs were originally in English and were considered for Wonder Girls’ American debut album. Judging by the amount of English lyrics in some of the songs, I’m pretty sure there’s an English version lurking around in some studio somewhere.
Just when you thought the mantle of ‘top girl group’ was lost to the likes of SNSD , Wonder World is a reminder the Wonder Girls are not out of the game yet. Of all the albums I’ve listened to, this is the best k-pop album of 2011!
My final rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
JYP has done it again. Last year I picked another JYP release, 2AM’s ‘Saint O’ Clock as my favourite album of 2010. That makes it two stellar annual releases in a row. Congratulations JYP! (Hmm, if only 2PM’s ‘Hands Up’ was anywhere near as good as these two ;))
Oh, about the headline. I didn’t drag SNSD’s name into this purely to start a fan-war. There were only three comebacks (as a fan) I was looking forward to this year. Rainbow – who disappointed, Jay Park – who impressed, and of course SNSD. The Boys is a good album, but it wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be.
Both SNSD and Wonder Girls debuted in 2007, and musically, unlike 2NE1, these two top girl groups can be compared in many ways. Both girl groups have also had their fair share of trials and tribulations along the way on their journey to the very top of Korea’s music scene. While SNSD is currently promoting their third full album, Wonder Girls have only just released their second full album. But… quantity over quality right? So, as much as I will (still) closely hold Girls Generation as my number one girl group, musically speaking, the Wonder Girls are the girl group who have the better album this year.
After listening to Wonder World, I now feel a bit confident about Wonder Girls’ chances in America. I’m sure their physical appearances will be picked on, but I feel they can overcome all that and win radio audiences with such quality music. All the best girls!
The one band Bangalore had been waiting for over 20 years is finally in town!
We reached Palace Grounds around 2pm and the line even before the gates opened were extending outside the venue for nearly a kilometre!
Grey clouds did mean it was going to rainBy 3pm, we managed to get in. Erm, some what.They were only allowing people in slowly and in batches, so still a lot of waiting until we were anywhere inside the actual concert area
Not that there wasn’t enough ‘entertainment’ around us. Needless to say, some in the crowd were high even before the concert. One guy climbed up a tree to get an idea of what was taking so long, which only drew cheers from the crowd. Then the crowd shouted: “JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!”. The look on tree guy’s face was as though he faintly understood what the crowd below were chanting. When the crowd realized he wasn’t going to jump, they then shouted: “PUSSY! PUSSY! PUSSY! PUSSY!” It was freakin’ hilarious! 😀
But all order broke loose when we heard a police siren and looked back to see a police vehicle escorting a convoy of high-end SUVs. The crowd made way assuming it was the Metallica themselves making their way to the venue. The cheers gave way to resentment when the license plate of the Range Rover said ‘Member of Parliament’. After that, the mood changed to anger and abuses hurled at the convoy. (The Range Rover was driven by Rajeev Chandrasekhar)
Eventually, the calm that was maintained ended as the convoy had to pass through and the crowd gave up on being patient and just ran past the gates and towards the concert grounds. You can’t blame the organizers when MPs themselves create havoc and only care for their own interest. Not to mention abuse a police escort to come to a concert!
Fortunately, nobody was hurt. I eventually regrouped with my friends and everybody formed another big line leading up to the concert ground.
I was okay missing the first two opening acts. I didn’t want to rush or be rushed.As long as I was inside before Biffy Clyro hit the stage
Because it rained, the grounds were muddy and even though DNA (the organizers) covered the grounds with massive green mats (of some sort), the mud was still seeping through, given how many feet were pressing down on it. Past the security check and frisking, we finally entered the grounds by 5:30pm.
The audience was divided in an ‘H’ formation and the section close to the stage was already packed with people. I had no desire to be squished, so we went to the second section and secured a spot in front of the middle screen.
Fortunately, Biffy Clyro hadn’t taken the stage yetBiffy took to the stage just before 6pm and hit the audience hard with their alternative rock. It also began to rain again, but the lead singer said that it only made things better!Even though I only knew “Mountains,” “Bubbles” and their breakthrough chart single “Many of Horror,” Biffy Clyro still played a very good setThe mostly shirtless Scottish band truly lived up to their reputation as one of UK’s best live acts
My phone began acting up while I recorded “Many of Horror,” and I ended up losing the video. So here’s just a little bit of “Mountains”:
Biffy Clyro left the stage by around 7pm.
It was now time for the ultimate moment
But not before the crew could sweep water off the stage, set everything up and do the usual checks. During that time, a roadie came on stage, took the mic and requested the people in the front section to go back a bit. He said they had no intentions of repeating what happened in Gurgaon (the concert in New Delhi was called off the day before because apparently the crowds pressed against the barricades too hard, causing it to break).
It took some time, which wasn’t unexpected given how many people wanted to be as close to the stage as possible — and there probably wasn’t any space at the end of the section for people to go back any further. When the roadie kept repeating “You guys aren’t helping,” those around me in my section got agitated and began jeering, with some even chanting “Delhi crowd – go back!” (No offense Northern brethren, it was only for fun)
15 minutes or so later, we were ready. The stage was set. As it neared 8pm, the lights dimmed and “Ecstasy of Gold” played on the speakers! The time had come:
After opening with “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” James Hetfield got everybody fist-pumping again with “Fuel“. Metallica’s 80’s hits “Ride the Lightning” and “Fade to Black” followed.
James then asked the audience if anybody bought Metallica’s last studio album ‘Death Magnetic,’ to which a good chunk of the audience responded to with a “yeah!/yes!/yup!/illegally downloaded!/wooh!” (Hey, at least he didn’t bring up ‘St. Anger‘).
“Cyanide” from DM was succeeded by the hugely popular “Memory Remains,” which saw the crowd sing along for quite some time even after the song ended. “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” followed, after which James spoke again before going into one of Metallica’s most popular songs:
“All Nightmare Long” was another song from Death Magnetic Metallica played. Then, every fan knew what came next when the lights dimmed and machine gun fire came out the speakers:
After two hugely popular numbers, the band returned to …And Justice for All with “Blackened“.
Then came the big two:
The band all waved to the fans and walked off the stage. Everybody knew the show wasn’t over, but still chanted “We want more!”
Metallica returned to the stage for the encore and paid tribute to Diamond Head with their cover of “Am I Evil?,” from their covers album Garage Inc.
It was a joy to watch this North Easterner who was head-banging like crazy… and then attempted to crowd surf. Guess how that ended! 🙂
“Battery” from Master of Puppets was the second last song on the set list. James spoke some more before closing out the night with the final song — “Seek and Destroy” from Kill ‘Em All.
Aside from our tri-colour flag, Malaysian, Croatian(!) and other flags were being waved about
The band members – James, Kirk, Lars and Rob – all came forward, waved to everybody, spoke on the mic… and then gave away a shit load of guitar picks and drum sticks!
We left the (now even muddier) grounds very satisfied after a 2 hour show.
The ‘Black army’ of well over 25,000 slowly leave Palace Grounds
The show did have its share of minor technical issues (DNA, I mean actual glitches). The speaker in front of us did lose sound for a song and half, and the middle screen flickered occasionally. But all-in-all, I don’t think any of us had any regrets spending Rs. 2750 ($56) to see Metallica. James Hetfield sounded amazing, Kirk Hammett’s guitar solos were jaw-dropping, Rob Trujillo is a beast on bass, and Lars Ulrich really does stand and pound the drums! Seeing all that made it well worth the wait.
Technically, the Bangalore gig wasn’t supposed to be Metallica’s first performance in India. That privilege went to Delhi as part of the inaugural F1 Rocks for the 2011 Indian Grand Prix. Some in attendance went online and stated that it was a ‘racist’ roadie who riled up the audience when the people in front wouldn’t move back from the barricades as it was giving in. Others blame the organizers for the fiasco. Watching this video, in my opinion, what ultimately nailed the coffin on the Gurgaon show were the idiots who went on stage and started trashing it!
I was really shocked on Friday night when I heard, what was to be the ‘Metallica’s first concert in India,’ was cancelled! It was embarrassing. Sure, I can talk about how much “better” the Bangalore crowd is, but at the day, the international news headlines stated “in India” — and it got a lot of international press!
Which is why I was glad the Bangalore concert was a successful one without any major issues. I don’t think anybody attending wanted to risk any chance of cancellation of the only other show in India!
But that sense of satisfaction didn’t last very long. A few days later, news broke of a few who had their belongings stolen from the venue! A Malaysian couple who came all the way just to see Metallica play apparently found out their bags were robbed of their passport and money. I can’t imagine how badly their night ended after how good a time the rest of us had!
In DNA’s defense, it was very clearly mentioned behind the ticket that bags (I’m talking about the backpack variety) are not allowed inside the venue. 99% of crowd came without bags. But the few who came with bags had to leave them at some unsecured spot which was accessible to low-life loiterers from outside who had no clue even what somebody else’s passport is worth! But at the end of the day, those who lost their valuables blamed the organizers. Naturally.
Putting myself in DNA’s shoes, I can imagine the headache of organizing a concert of such scale in India. First, there’s the logistics of it all, but the worst part is dealing with:
a) the worthless public officials from whom the organizers need to get clearances from, and you just know bribes are involved
b) the concert crowd themselves
During the show in Bangalore, there were a few idiots who climbed up the scaffolding in front of us to get a better view. Did the thought that it’s dangerous to do so ever cross their minds? Yes, they were brought down swiftly by a policeman and a DNA staff, but why do they need to be told so? After paying Rs. 2750, did they feel it entitled them to do whatever they felt like, even if it meant compromising the safety of everybody else around them?
Friends of mine (not in my group) who showed up to the venue a bit late told me after the concert how a cop manning the front section told them he wouldn’t allow them in as there were already too many people inside. So how did they manage to get past that? They paid the cop Rs. 500, and he let them get closer to the stage.
Now who are you going to blame? DNA Networks? The Metallica roadie who supposedly hurled abuses at the crowd because there were just too many people pressing up against the barricades? No point blaming the authorities when the people are no better.
There’s a reason why Metallica would be especially concerned over crowd safety. The Gurgaon incident isn’t the first ‘riot’ to ever break out at a Metallica gig. Shit has happened at Metallica gigs before, but it’s not always the band to blame. They still have to play it safe because the next day, it’s their name that makes the headlines.
In some ways, it comes with the territory. Heavy metal fans can get aggressive very easily. Mix alcohol to that, and you just make it even easier. Which is why I was glad DNA chose not to sell alcohol inside the venue despite the concert being sponsored by a vodka brand. Things could have gotten much worse if they had.
Despite the many event promoters entering the Indian gig scene, we still have a long way to go. There are still many world famous bands with a huge fanbase in India who are yet to play here (Green Day, Link Park, Bon Jovi, U2 etc, just to name a few). Sure, we may not have a venue like Madison Square Garden or an O2 Arena, but understand one thing — if we did, the tickets wouldn’t have cost Rs. 2750 ($56). India still pays far less for a ticket compared to developed markets. In some ways, I’m cool with that. I only need the band, good sound and clear screens.
